Ministers undermining CM's authority: National Conference

The National Conference (NC) on Sunday, while expressing "disappointment and amusement" at various cabinet ministers openly overruling chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said such incidents exposed Mufti Sayeed and PDP's "complete sell-out" to the BJP for the "sole aim" of clinging on to the CM's chair at any cost.

The National Conference (NC) on Sunday, while expressing "disappointment and amusement" at various cabinet ministers openly overruling chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said such incidents exposed Mufti Sayeed and PDP's "complete sell-out" to the BJP for the "sole aim" of clinging on to the CM's chair at any cost.

An NC spokesman said in a statement that the most recent in the spate of such incidents of the CM "being overruled" was when health minister Lal Singh on Saturday "overruled" the chief minister's standing instructions of relocating gynaecological ward from the GB Pant Children's Hospital.

"Rather than trying to validate even ten per cent of PDP's pre-election rhetoric and chest-thumping, Mufti Sayeed has become a willing puppet in the hands of the BJP just as long as he gets to remain in power.This indictment is not only a curtain-raiser on the inherent political DNA of the PDP but is also a stark reminder of PDP's betrayal with the people of J&K viz-a-viz its alliance with the BJP is concerned. Never before has the stature and authority of the chief minister's office been discredited in such a brazen manner by none other than cabinet minister who head important departments," the NC statement said.

"During his tour to the GB Pant Hospital, CM Mufti Sayeed gave official instructions to shift the gynaecological ward from the hospital. Following this, written orders were issued by the Health and Medical Education Department to the Government Medical College, Srinagar, to ensure implementation of the directive issued by the chief minister. Lo and behold, the very next day Mufti Sahab's health minister visited the hospital on Saturday and overturned the directives issued by the chief minister himself. Such belittling of the chief minister's office is unprecedented. When the chief minister does not have the confidence and respect from his own Cabinet, how can he even attempt to guide this state and its administration?" the NC asked the chief minister.

The NC spokesman said that this was not an isolated incident but there had been many such incidents where cabinet minister had "overruled" the chief minister of the state.

"We witnessed how deputy chief minister Dr Nirmal Singh overturned several transfer orders that were authorised by the chief minister. Then we went on to see how the minister for urban development and housing said there was no need to compensate the state for the September floods, other than Rs 3,000 crore, which the minister termed 'adequate'.

Then there is the ongoing slew of contradictions between cabinet ministers in the Mufti cabinet about the selective eviction of Muslims from forest areas in Jammu. Cabinet ministers are openly trivialising the authority and sanctity of the chief minister's office and the PDP's apologetic silence on this is extremely tragic," the statement added.